Linux for the Masses
In yet another free-market blow to Microsoft's much-vaunted "monopoly power," Wal-Mart is offering cheap desktop computers equipped with three non-Microsoft operating systems. Just $199 brings you a bare-bones machine loaded with Xandros; for a little more you can get the same machine with Linspire or Sun's Java Desktop. Meanwhile, Mozilla's Firefox continues to gain ground, slowly, on Internet Explorer.
All this is yet another reminder that it is consumer preference and technological innovation, not the FTC or DOJ, that ultimately governs the behavior of large firms like Microsoft. Thank goodness!
Comments (13)
Those leftists who hate Wal~Mart's "Monopoly statis" are going to have to thank it for helping to destabalize Microsoft's?
Too funny :)
Tracy
Published: December 20, 2004 6:58 PM
Since the last time Mozilla/IE were hot topics on this blog, I have switched over to Mozilla Firefox and I tell you what - it's pretty damn good.
The reason that I switched is that the very latest of version of Microsoft's own web browser, running on one of Microsoft's own operating systems, crashed every single time that I used it to access Microsoft's own free email service, hotmail.com. This demonstrates that no government action is required to bring down Microsoft or any other (alleged) monopoly ... they will bring down themselves.
Published: December 20, 2004 8:48 PM
Please don't err by giving credit for such innovation to Walmart.
Published: December 20, 2004 9:10 PM
OK. i suppose like a good Austrian I should give that Cridit to the customers -- I still think it's funny though.
Actually, Wal~Mart, is facing some pretty stiff competition from regional grocery stores around here. Our regional Hi-Vi store chain seems to have adjusted quite nicely to having two Wal~Mart supercenters. Although a couple of the Econofoods have had to close.
And Best Buy, Batteries Plus, Target, and Ultimate Electronics, seem to be doing OK too.
What Ticks me off about Microsoft is that it's now seeking government laws, and fiat to protect itself from it's competitors. Things like Patent law to try and hurt Linex and stuff.
Tracy
Tracy
Published: December 20, 2004 9:32 PM
Unfortunately, the Linux fan in me was quite dissatisfied by the hardware used to build these machines.
Published: December 20, 2004 9:40 PM
Tracy,
Microsoft is helping SCO with their ridiculous and baseless lawsuit against the Linux kernel.
They also sued "Lindows". Realizing they most certainly would have lost, they gave Lindows a truck-load of money to switch their name to "Linspire". Apparently, MS thinks it has a trademark right on everything with a "dows" on the end.
Published: December 20, 2004 9:41 PM
"Unfortunately, the Linux fan in me was quite dissatisfied by the hardware used to build these machines."
You expect more from a computer that costs $200?
Published: December 20, 2004 11:46 PM
HP also now sells PCs with Mandrake Linux installed. They cost considerably less than the equivalent machine with XP Pro installed.
http://tinyurl.com/3wdxh
Meanwhile, Firefox managed to get a two-page spread ad in the New York Times purely through voluntary donations. The open-source software movement shows much can be accomplished without the "incentives" of patents and other government protections.
Software doesn't need copyright and patent law to thrive. It's time for government intervention in the marketplace to go.
Published: December 21, 2004 2:20 AM
"You expect more from a computer that costs $200?"
The machine I purchased was one of the $500 models. I returned it because it was garbage and bought a $500 model from an outfit based in Ah-noldland for the same price and I couldn't be happier with it.
Published: December 21, 2004 6:37 AM
Non sequiter alert.
Odd to see the phrase "...that ultimately governs the behavior of large firms like Microsoft" in an article that does not discuss the behavior of Microsoft at all. Just what are we supposed to beleive is changing in Microsoft's behavior due to consumer preference and technological innovation? The only behavioral changes are the ones noted in this comment thread -- increasing abuse of ip law, support of questionable issues and companies, and similar behaviors that are pretty far from market-oriented.
But then Microsoft can do no wrong, can they, being a non-govenrmental agency? pfeh.
Shirley Knott
Published: December 21, 2004 6:56 AM
Konqueror is another "open source" browser. One of the nice things it has is "change browser identification", so that the web site thinks it's being contacted by something other than Konqueror.
Hotmail gets an error when I try to use Konqueror to log in. But if I change the identification to "Internet Explorer", no problem at all. I cannot imagine why... (chortle)
Concerning cheap hardware: Don't! Cheap hardware causes lots and lots of problems, little ones that make the software seem to be failing. While Linux is far more robust than Windows, frugality with the guts of the machine is a mistake.
Your local "white box" PC folks can put together something that will work forever, but it likely won't be quite as cheap as buying from a bigger assembly-line. But the $100 or so saved by not buying Windows can be well spent on better hardware.
A lot of money can be saved by not buying speed. Linux runs quite well on 1GHz chips, which will save any buyer a bundle of money.
My next machine will either be a garage-sale castoff or AMD 64bit SMP screamer. I cannot make up my mind, but I know that Debian will run beautifully on whatever it turns out to be, and it won't cost me a cent.
Published: December 21, 2004 8:34 AM
I've recently tried Knoppix and Morphix, two Linux "Live CDs" (they run the entire Linux OS off a CD-ROM and doesn't touch your hard drive or existing Windows system) and I was very impressed, especially with the Morphix Lite version that was minimalistic and quick. It had the Firefox web browser, an email app, a chat app, an mp3 app, a word processor, etc. and probably more stuff that I never looked into. I don't really need more than that on my computer, and really, I think I'd be more productive using Linux than Windows, if only for the lack of games and other distractions on there! I very much liked certain parts of it --MUCH better than Windows XP-- and I have decided that I will certainly switch for real to Linux very soon. I am VERY impressed. And the lack of viruses doesn't hurt either.
Published: December 21, 2004 9:54 AM
If you still want to play the odd game on Linux, most popular games work with Transgaming's Cedega installed. It mimics the Windows environment so games will run, and some even apparently run better under Linux (higher framerates).
Personally, I went the other route and bought a Mac. It has changed the way I think about computers and software. But I do keep Linux on my older PCs.
Published: December 22, 2004 2:19 AM